I'm not much of a duck hunter. I like it but in my area there are not many places to go - or many ducks. So, my duck experiences are usually in other states as a guest of friends. As a result, it has taken several years for me to put together a mental picture of everything involved in duck hunting. One of the things I've notice that is pretty important, is knowing what variety of duck is flying into the decoy setup. There are laws for each species and you better know what you're shooting before you pull the trigger. Ignorance has never been an excuse a wildlife officer has allowed. There are big ducks and little ducks. There are divers, mallards, mergansers, buffleheads, teals, and many, many more. At my level of knowledge, I only know if it has a green head, it's a drake (male) mallard. For others, I'm still depending on my guides for help.

One of the things I learned about ducks is that when they come in to land, they do so against the wind. They prefer the wind pushing against them instead of coming from behind. It seems they don't trust the possibility of a sudden gust that might push them headlong into an undesirable place to land. They need a certain amount of resistance to match their own energy or effort. This headwind can be stiff and difficult. To them, however, it is not contrary to their effort, but complimentary. It may be demanding and challenging at times but it keeps them on target. They have turned the toil into a tool.

I have thought about this many times as I have witnessed a duck cup its wings to land. I have thought how God uses the headwinds of difficulty in my own life to keep me from going too fast, to keep me on target, and to keep me from landing headlong into a mess. In fact, for a follower of Christ, He has promised that every single pain or problem will be used to land his child at the perfect place he has for us. And the most seemingly insignificant concern will not go unused - that every toil is a tool in the hand of God.

Are you bemoaning the wind that is against you right now? Does it seem that it's keeping you from where you intend to go? It may be, but it's not keeping you from where God wants you to be. Trust Him. He controls the wind and He knows how much resistance you need for a safe landing.